According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, nearly 20 percent of all collisions resulting in damage claims occur in parking lots.

A recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study found that one in every 25 incidents of "road rage" or aggressive driving takes place in a parking lot.

On a per-mile basis, drivers will likely face more conflicts in a parking lot than anywhere else, especially during the holiday season.

AAA offers the following tips to help motorists navigate parking lots safely and make better decisions to protect their cars and themselves:

Head for the side door. At the mall, everyone wants to park close to the stores, especially near the main entrance. Most malls have secondary entrances with less traffic and more convenient spaces, so drivers should try to park there. Learn to play the outfield. Outlying areas traditionally have more spaces, lighter traffic and a lower collision risk. Drivers should be aware that some outlying spaces are a foot narrower than their more convenient counterparts, so using them could result in a dinged door or present difficulty pulling in and out. Dock alongside an island. Besides helping control traffic flow, islands can provide protection to the front and sides of the car. For that reason, parking spots alongside an island are prime real estate. Put yourself in the pole position. Parking in front of a light pole can help protect cars from inattentive drivers who pull too far into their spot and hit the vehicle's front bumper. The lighted spots also offer better security, and since the parking lot section numbers are often posted on them, cars parked by them are easier to locate.

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